Neglected Leeks

I confess, I have neglected my leeks.   Last year, I carefully saved seeds from some select plants that I had allowed to flower, and this Springtime I scattered them on a square yard of soil, watered them and hoed them in.  I let Nature take its course, which is of course what it did, and soon my patch of leek seedlings was covered in weeds.

I managed to keep the weeds in check until a few weeks ago, but it was a losing battle, and the leeks became overshadowed by enormous unwanted plants.   The dry weather didn't help either, and the tips of the leek leaves were are brown from drought.  Time to decide to act or just write it off and treat it as a dead loss.

I had to make space in the garden for them by digging up some of the potatoes.  It's a bit early for that, but the spuds are struggling in the heat and it's nigh on impossible to get water down to root level no matter how often I water them.  so I cleared a strip about a yard wide and 3 yards long.

All you can see of the leeks are the holes that they are hiding in, they are so small.   But I am hoping that, with the fertiliser I have put in the ground, and the water poured down the holes, they will recover.   There is another positive aspect to this approach - I uncovered some potatoes I had missed.

To the left are plastic cloches sheltering Amaryllis bulbs I have put out to benefit from the fertile soil and Summer sun.  To the right are the potatoes that I haven't dug up yet.